Getting to Know Your Traverse City Pet Photographer
I’m Amanda, your friendly local pet photographer based in Traverse City, Michigan! You may know me as that person laying on the ground making a lot of wacky sounds to capture that perfect image of your furry bestie, but did you know that I’m also really good at segues? (Not really, but it was worth a shot.) Or that I’m a master of guessing the twist in a movie before it happens? (I know it’s annoying so I’ll keep it to myself, don’t worry. Unless you’re my husband. I have to share my talent with someone.) Or that I bake an incredible pumpkin chocolate chip cookie? (They’re good – a bakery once asked me for the recipe.)
I can talk about your pets and my pets all day (and let’s do that, it’s my favorite thing!), but isn’t it also fun to get to know more about the person behind the camera? Just in case that sounds like a good time to you, here are twenty-ish facts about me:
I love tea. I love tea so much that I named my cats Tea and Lemon. Right now as I type I’m drinking a delightful cup of Earl Grey in my favorite mug that reads “Dogs are my favorite people.” (Are we surprised?) If I’m not drinking a hot mug of Earl Grey, you can catch me drinking unsweetened black iced tea like a fish. Extra bonus points if there’s a lemon!
I have a forever-rotating collection of comfort shows that I watch at night and they are: Gilmore Girls, The Office, New Girl, Parks & Rec, and Friends. They never get old to me, but they can also put me right to sleep.
I love a cozy movie day, especially if it’s raining or snowing. Give me a gloomy afternoon with a warm blanket, a couple of dogs, snacks on snacks, and I’m a happy gal.
I love nature, but I hate hot weather and bugs. It’s an eternal conflict for me. I want to be outside and in the woods with all the beautiful trees, but it’s hot out there, and there are bugs. Somehow my love of photographing dogs allows me to overcome this obstacle because I often find myself outside on a hot day laying on the ground in the woods, where all the spiders and bugs are. I guess what they say is true: good (dogs) always triumphs over evil (bugs). But you better believe I’m showering immediately when I get home.
I am an INFP personality type and an Enneagram 4w5, which means I can be empathetic, open-minded, creative, curious, and passionate. It also means I can tend to be sensitive, self-critical, and withdrawn.
I love trivia. I am actually part of a two-time winning group of The Office trivia champions, which feels like something to brag about. I once did Gilmore Girls trivia, and I’m still bitter about it because one of the questions was unscrambling anagrams to make Gilmore Girls-themed words, which does not count as trivia, and is the reason we didn’t win. I’m not a fast unscrambler. I’m not as good at normal trivia, but I love it just as much! You might find me at Stone hound Brewing Company on a Wednesday night doing trivia with friends. Our team name is We Miss Our Dogs. I wish they could come to trivia.
I also really love game nights. I love a good board game, a Pictionary session, Yahtzee, you name it. I am very into a board game called Everdell where you build a community of adorable critters. Anyone else?
I don’t drink. It makes me sick, it triggers my rosacea, and it makes me anxious… am I allergic to alcohol? Anyway, I’ll just have an iced tea, thanks!
I can’t remember a time in my life when I didn’t have a pet. When I was a kid we had everything from dogs and cats to a bunny, horses, a pig, gerbils, mice… Currently I have two dogs, a cat, three pond goldfish, and an ever-changing number of frogs (a lot of crows hang around our house…). The frogs live in the pond with the fish, and they’re so much fun to watch.
I am not a morning person. I’m a complete night owl, so waking up early feels next to impossible for me. I’m a sunset kind of gal. Huge thanks to all who accommodate my late evening summer sessions!
I have a bachelor’s degree in English, professional writing, and media & information studies, and a professional certificate in editing. Once upon a time, I thought I wanted to be a librarian. Then I thought I wanted to be a copyeditor and proofreader. Turns out, I love to read but I don’t really love being on the other side of it.
My favorite health food is dark chocolate. Alright, I know it’s not a health food, but there are health benefits, right? Like joy, for example? I love mostly anything with chocolate and peanut butter. Have you had the moose tracks ice cream at Milk & Honey? I’m hooked.
When I was a kid, I wanted to be a dog when I grew up. Since that’s unfortunately not possible, I think pet photographer feels like the next best thing.
My Instagram algorithm is half Taylor Swift and half animals doing cute and funny things. They’ve figured me out!
Do I believe in ghosts? You bet I do. If you tell me your ghost stories, I’ll tell you mine!
Fall is my favorite season, and 63 degrees is my favorite temperature. For me, it’s just the perfect level of chilly but not too chilly.
I’m lucky to be married to my best friend! 2024 will mark a decade together, and our seventh year of marriage.
I love sweaters. I live in ‘em. Even in the summer you’ll probably catch me in a sweater. They’re just so cozy!
I’m a Libra Sun, Libra Moon, Aries Rising. I don’t totally know what that means but I know some people like to know, so there you go! I do like to read my horoscope, but that’s about as far as I’ve gotten with astrology so far.
I have a candle problem. I can’t stop buying them. Right now, my favorite is Moody Bitch from Evil Queen. It’s amazing. You’re welcome.
I’ve moved around the state a lot. I mostly grew up in Howell, then I spent a few years in Lansing, then in Grand Rapids, and back to Howell. My husband and I loved coming to Traverse City on little getaways and would always talk about moving here. He thought we’d move here when we retired and I thought we’d move here immediately, so we compromised and moved here pretty much immediately. We moved here toward the end of 2021 and we love it. Always accepting recommendations on new things to do around town, just sayin’!
Oh, back to my love of trivia… I love Celebrity Jeopardy, or what we lovingly refer to it as in our house: Jeopardy for babies. It makes me feel so smart.
I can’t nap unless I’m sick. If I nap when I’m not sick, I wake up feeling sick. What’s that about? Jealous of all you nappers out there.
My hidden talent is that I am exceptionally good at choosing the most perfect Christmas tree. Some years it takes a lot of wandering around the tree farm to find the perfect tree, and some years I find it right away. When you know, you know, you know?
Okay, your turn! What’s a fun fact about you? Do any of my quirks resonate with you? Leave a comment and let me know!